Winder apparatus and method

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for winding a strand of material such as textile yarn in which a single strand is advanced from a supply package by a variable speed electrical drive associated with a takeup package while being guided from the supply package along a predetermined path of travel toward the takeup package, and in which a single strand of material advancing along the path is engaged by an electrical signal generating electrically controllable tensioning device which generates an electrical signal indicative of strand advancement while imposing controllable tension on the engaged strand material, a drive signal is derived from the generated electrical signal and applied to the electrical drive so as to controllably vary the speed thereof in response to signals indicative of strand advancement, and a tension signal is derived from the generated electrical signal and applied to the tensioning device so as to controllably vary the tension imposed thereby on the engaged strand in response to signals indicative of strand advancement.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In an apparatus for winding a strand of material such as textile yarn which has supply means for mounting a supply package of strand material, takeup means for mounting a takeup package for the strand material, and guide means for guiding the strand material from the supply package along a predetermined path of travel toward the takeup package, an improvement comprising: variable speed electrical drive means operatively associated with the takeup means for driving the takeup package and thereby for advancing the strand material from the supply package toward the takeup package for winding of the strand thereabout,   means engaging the strand material advancing along the path for generating an electrical signal indicative of strand velocity and for imposing tension on the engaged strand material, and   electrical signal processing means electrically connected to said strand engaging means and to said electrical drive means for receiving electrical signals indicative of strand velocity and for responding thereto by controllably varying the speed of said electrical drive means and the tension imposed by said strand engaging means in response to such signals indicative of strand velocity.   
     
     
       2. In an apparatus for winding a strand of material such as textile yarn which has supply means for mounting a supply package of a strand material, takeup means for mounting a takeup package for the strand material, and guide means for guiding the strand material drawn from the supply package along a predetermined path of travel toward the takeup package, an improvement comprising: variable speed electrical drive means operatively associated with the takeup means for driving the takeup package and thereby for advancing the strand material from the supply package toward the takeup package for winding of the strand thereabout,   means engaging the strand material advancing along the path for generating an electrical signal indicative of strand advancement and for imposing an electrically controllable variable tension on the engaged strand material, and   electrical signal processing means electrically connected to said strand engaging means and to said electrical drive means for receiving and responding to electrical signals indicative of strand advancement and for deriving a drive signal applied to said electrical drive means so as to controllably vary the speed thereof in response to signals indicative of strand advancement and for deriving a tension signal applied to said strand engaging means so as to controllably vary the tension imposed thereby on the engaged strand in response to signals indicative of strand advancement.   
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said electrical signal processing means is responsive to said received signals for determining the wound length of strand material and further wherein said electrical signal processing means functions to vary tension imposed by said strand engaging means as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said electrical signal processing means functions to decrease tension imposed by said strand engaging means as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said electrical signal processing means is responsive to said received signals for determining the wound length of strand material and further wherein said electrical signal processing means functions to vary the speed of said drive means as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said electrical signal processing means functions to decrease the speed of said drive means as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said electrical signal processing means is responsive to said received signals for determining the wound length of strand material and further wherein said electrical signal processing means functions to vary tension imposed by said strand engaging means and to vary the speed of said drive means as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said electrical signal processing means functions to decrease tension imposed by said strand engaging means and the speed of said drive means as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said electrical signal processing means is operatively connected to said drive means for controllably interrupting continued advancement of the strand material along the predetermined path upon occurrence of one of an event of completion of winding of a predetermined length of strand material and an event of interruption in winding. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said electrical signal processing means is responsive to said received signals for determining the wound length of strand material and further wherein said electrical signal processing means comprises length limit means for interrupting continued advancement of strand material along the path upon advancement of a predetermined length of material. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said electrical signal processing means is responsive to said received signals for determining the absence of strand material and further wherein said electrical signal processing means comprises stop motion means for interrupting operation of the apparatus in the absence of strand material. 
     
     
       12. In an apparatus for winding a strand of material such as textile yarn which has supply means for mounting a supply package of strand material, takeup means for mounting a takeup package for the strand material, and guide means for guiding the strand material drawn from the supply package along a predetermined path of travel toward the takeup package, an improvement comprising: variable speed electrical drive means operatively associated with the takeup means for driving the takeup package and thereby for advancing the strand material from the supply package toward the takeup package for winding of the strand thereabout,   means engaging the strand material advancing along the path for generating an electrical signal indicative of strand advancement and for imposing an electrically controllable variable tension on the engaged strand material, and   electrical signal processing means electrically connected to said strand engaging means and to said electrical drive means for receiving and responding to electrical signals indicative of strand advancement and for deriving a drive signal applied to said electrical drive means so as to controllably decrease the speed thereof in response to signals indicative of advancement of increasing length of strand material and for deriving a tension signal applied to said strand engaging means so as to controllably decrease the tension imposed thereby on the engaged strand in response to signals indicative of advancement of increasing length of strand material.   
     
     
       13. In a method of winding a strand of material such as textile yarn in which a strand is advanced by an electrical drive from a supply package to a takeup package while being guided from the supply package along a predetermined path of travel toward the takeup package, an improvement comprising: engaging the strand advancing along the path with a signal generating controllable tensioning device and generating an electrical signal indicative of strand velocity while imposing controllable tension on the engaged strand, and   responding to the electrical signal indicative of strand velocity and deriving signals applied to the electrical drive for controllably varying the speed of advancement of the strand and to the tensioning device for controllably varying the tension imposed on the strand.   
     
     
       14. In a method of winding a strand of material such as textile yarn in which a strand is advanced from a supply package by a variable speed electrical drive associated with a takeup package while being guided from the supply package along a predetermined path of travel toward the takeup package, an improvement comprising: engaging the strand material advancing along the path with a electrical signal generating electrically controllable tensioning device and generating an electrical signal indicative of strand advancement while imposing controllable tension on the engaged strand material,   deriving from the generated electrical signal a drive signal and applying the derived drive signal to the electrical drive so as to controllably vary the speed thereof in response to signals indicative of strand advancement, and   deriving from the generated electrical signal a tension signal and applying the derived tension signal to the tensioning device so as to controllably vary the tension imposed thereby on the engaged strand in response to signals indicative of strand advancement.   
     
     
       15. A method according to one of claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the step of deriving a signal comprises determining the length of strand material advanced and generating an electrical signal which functions to vary tension imposed by the tensioning device as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of deriving a signal further comprises generating an electrical signal which functions to decrease tension imposed by the tensioning device as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       17. A method according to one of claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the step of deriving a signal comprises determining the length of strand material advanced and generating an electrical signal which functions to vary the speed of the electrical drive as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the step of deriving a signal further comprises generating an electrical signal which functions to decrease the speed of the electrical drive as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       19. A method according to one of claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the step of deriving a signal comprises determining the length of strand material advanced and generating electrical signals which respectively function to vary the speed of the electrical driven and to vary tension imposed by the tensioning device as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the step of deriving a signal further comprises generating electrical signals which respectively function to decrease the speed of the electrical drive and to decrease tension imposed by the tensioning device as the determined length of strand material increases. 
     
     
       21. A method according to one of claim 13 or claim 14 further comprising controllably interrupting continued advancement of the strand material along the predetermined path upon occurrence of a predetermined condition. 
     
     
       22. A method according to claim 21 further comprising determining lengths of advancing strand material and interrupting continued advancement of strand material along the path upon advancement of a predetermined length of material. 
     
     
       23. A method according to claim 21 further comprising determining the absence of advancing strand material and interrupting continued operation of the electrical drive in the absence of strand material being advanced along the path.